Headlight for automobiles.



L. A. LONGLEY.

HEADLIGHT Foa AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21.1916.

Lgmgwqh Patented Jan. 2,1917

LESTER A. LONGLEY. 0F LITTLE FALLS. MNNESOTA.

HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

igeiooi.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Jan. 2. 1917.

Application filed February 21, 1916. Serial No. 79.603.

Toa/Z cito/1L 'it may concern Beit known that l, l'ins'rna lioxomcv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Falls. in the county of Morrison and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights for Automobiles; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention` such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in headlights for automobiles: and, to this end, generally stated, it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

1n the accompanying drawings. which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the body of an automobile, some parts being shown in section: Fig. 9. is a transverse section taken on the line ar :c2 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the lever disengaging and operating the headlight, with respect to the steering column.

Of the parts of the automobile illustrated. it is important to note the body 1, instrument board or dash 2, cowl 3, hood 4, radiator 5, steering column 6 and steering wheel T.

Rigidly secured to the cowl f3, at the transverse center of the machine, is a bracket S having a pair of vertically. spaced bearings 9 and in which is journaled a shaft 10, having keyed to its upper end a lamp bracket 11, the hub of which rests on an annular flange 12 integrally formed with the upper bearing 9. A headlight 13 is detaehably supported on the prongs of the bracket 11. Keyed to the shaft 10 is a half clutch 1%, .which normally interlocks with a half clutch 15 on a spur gear 1G, loosely journaled onv the shaft 10 and resting on the lower bearing Compressed between the upper bearing 9 and the clutch member 1st., is a coiled spring 17 which surrounds the shaft 10 and yieldingly holds said clutch member inter-locked with the clutch memberl 15. A spur pinion 18 meshes with the spur gear 16 and its shaft 19 is journalied in a pair of vertically Ispaced bearings 90 integrally formed with the bracket 8.

`Keyed to the steering column G, is a bevel ge: r il which meshes with a bevel gear keyed to a shaft 22 Iiournaled in a bearing '2-1 secured to the dash 2. universal shaft 25 connects the shaft 1.() to the shaft The above described` connections are arranged to turn the headlight 13 from the steering column G in the direction the vehicle is about to turn. Preferably. the connections are geared to turn the headlight a little faster than the movement of the steering column, so as to light up a winding road or a long tm'n therein. lly mounting the headlight on the cowl 3. the same is up high enough to cast a light over small bushes and weeds that usually line the sides of country roads.

During the day and when the headlight is not in use, the same may be disconnected with respectv to the steering column 6, by lifting' the clutch member 14 out of engagement with the clutch member 15. rThis is accomplished by a lever 26 having a bifurcated end. the prongs of which embrace the lower portion of the bracket 11, are fulcrumed thereto and have cam surfaces 2T, which bear upon the tiange 1'2 of the bracket 8. By lifting on the free end of the lever 26,

.its cam surfaces '27. acting on the flange 12,

will lift the shaft 10 sufficiently to disengage the clutch members 11 and 15. Vith said clutch members disengaged, the headlight may be operated by the lever 2G independently'of the steering column (i. Obviously, the lever 2G is within easy reach of the driver and the clutch members may be disengaged, at will, and the headlight 1? operated by said lever. `While in the drawings, the lever QG must be lifted to disengage the clutch Amembers, it is, of course, understood that. it

might be arranged to operate in reverse order.v

rThe above described device being very simple may readily be applied to any automobile, and a large part of the mechanism thereof is iocated within the cowl. n actual practice, the mechanism above the cowl will be inclosed in a casing,

That T claim is rThe combination with automobile having a steering column, of a bracket mounted on the vehicle, a gear journaled on the bracket, connections from the steering col n testimony Wheref aiiix my signature umn forv oscillating the gen1` a shaft, a hcadin presence of two Witnesses. light carried by the shaft, :1 clutch iwrn'mily t Tr T connecting sind shzlit and gen1', and :1 muy LESFMR A 'Lob' GLEY lever for disconnecting said clutch, suppQrt- \Vit11esses:

ing thcl headlight and oscillating the shaft, N. E. CARY,

at will. J. V. J ARBOE. 

